We've heard enough millennium blues. We're weary of people who, for unfounded
reasons, fret that bad stuff will overwhelm them when the clock strikes
midnight on Dec. 31.

The oddity of being around for a new millennium inspires wonder in all
of us. It's easy to see how some people are so awed that they let themselves
fall victim to worries about electricity failures, bank collapses and nuclear
plants going haywire.

Truth be told, our main millennium fear is over-the-edge behavior. We
see too many hucksters out their preying on people's skittishness. We hear
too much about hoarders of food who, by emptying store shelves, could deprive
those unable to stock up. We read about people buying guns to protect their
sliver of the world from upheavals they've conjured. We even know of cults
that have lured good people from productive lives.

What needs to happen now is a shift away from fear. The time has arrived
to look ahead not with angst but with joy about being on the earth at such
a calendar passage. Just as this is a special moment in history, it can
be a special moment in our lives, a time of personal renewal, public commitment
- or both.

While we're troubled about the negatives in society, we're happy to take
note of positive planning underway right here in Chesapeake country.

The Maryland Commission for Celebration 2000 is overseeing a bounty of
well-conceived programs that can help to ferry us smartly into the new millennium.
Maryland 2000 is presenting 80 sessions with 20 speakers advising us on
issues and opportunities in the coming year. They're free to community organizations,
and lists of experts' topics are upcoming.

In the new "MaryLandscapes" program, Maryland 2000 soon will
identify those who will be sharing $100,000 to plant 29 community gardens
across the state and maintain them for a decade. There's a massive drive
to collect food for those who need it and many more programs that can help
us - or help us to help others.

"People can do something they've not done before. They can extend
their reach," observed Louise Hayman, Maryland 2000 executive director.

Maryland 2000 wants to hear millennium ideas from your community or your
organization. So rather than spreading the dread, look smartly ahead.

For information on programs and opportunities, phone Maryland 2000's
Alicia Moran at 410/260-6350 or look at the commission's Web site at www.maryland2000.org.